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Your Product Packaging Terms and Glossary

Packaging is a crucial component in building a brand’s image and identity - it sells your garments and products. Here are some things to consider.

7 min read time | Mar 18, 2024 | Written by: Weavabel

Packaging is a crucial component in building a brand’s image and identity. Often, it can be the all-important difference between consumers buying your garments or purchasing with your competitors.

Packaging is what sells your garments and products. Its versatility allows it to protect your product while communicating your brand to the world at the same time. It also draws attention, sends a message and makes consumers feel a certain way.

Bringing a new packaging idea to life can seem like a daunting task at first, but every brand needs to start somewhere. Cartier’s luxe red leather boxes. Hermès’ iconic orange box. The white Camellia on each Chanel bag. Louis Vuitton’s new, rich yellow shade. Even Bergdorf Goodman’s signature purple shopping bag that’s been a New York City status symbol for decades. To get to their legendary status, there’s a lot to consider beforehand - this is where Weavabel can help.

To get you started here are some considerations:

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Packaging types

You don’t have to use just one type of packaging for your garments. If a bag doesn’t fit your branding, then you can opt for a box instead. But you also need to think a little further about what goes inside your actual packaging. Here are some exterior packaging options to think about:

  • Folding Carton Boxes

    A light and flexible style which is a cost-effective option.

  • Corrugated Boxes

    Highly durable and cheap option which is perfect as an outer protection on more luxury boxes to avoid damage in transit.

  • Rigid Boxes

    If you want a high-end, premium option, consider rigid boxes. They’re thicker in material and give off a luxurious vibe.

  • Paper Bags

    A popular choice that’s cost-effective and environmentally-friendly.

  • PVC Bags

    Great for smaller garments and to keep them dry in wet conditions during transportation. At Weavabel we offer 4 sustainable options of these using recycled and biodegradable materials.

  • Luxury Card Shopping Bags

    High-quality card shopping bags enable the ultimate retail experience. Add in twisted paper handles and crisp printing and they act as the perfect advertising agent - plus consumers won’t discard them.

  • Tote Bags

    These are ideal when consumers purchase a high end product. Customers love them as they’re versatile, look great and are easy-to-use. You can even opt for an organic tote version that’s kinder to the environment

  • Kraft

    This is a great option as it’s durable, eco-friendly and uses recycled materials. It’s a popular choice for many brands that want to push for a greener approach. This material also requires no coating.

That’s just a small list of the many options your brand can use for packaging. Don’t forget about the extras which 
come with the packaging such as tissue paper, ribbons and stickers.

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Printing terms

Here’s a glossary to help you understand different printing techniques that can be used.

  • Bleed

    After printing, the inks might run over the trim marks of the stock - which is known as bleeding

  • Debossing

    Stamping a design into the surface so that there’s an indent.

  • Die Cut

    A die refers to a precise, razor-sharp steel blade that allows multiple pieces of the same shape to be created in an efficient manner

  • Dieline

    The flattened pattern of your product packaging which is used to create the proper layout for your packaging.

  • Embossing

    Creating raised relief images on paper and other materials so the design bulges out of the surface

  • Pantone Colour

    A universal colour matching system. It’s an  excellent choice for branding as it creates a uniform colour code. This is important for packaging, as you want each and every packaging to be the exact same colour to reflect your brand. For example, Tiffany Blue - or Pantone 1837 - is now defined by the Pantone Colour Institute’s custom colour programme.

  • Stock

    This is essentially the material of your packaging and what will receive the printed images, text and content.

  • UV Varnish

    A thin coating applied to stock for a layer of protection and appearance.

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Finishing touches

Here’s a handy little glossary to refer to so you understand different printing techniques that can be used. There’s 
no need to worry as at Weavabel our team will advise on the best techniques to go with what you’re looking to achieve.

  • Ink Effects

    Custom inks can enhance the personality of your brand. Think beyond the regular colour process and use a variety of speciality inks to make your packaging stand out from the  competition and tie into your brand.

  • Die Cutting

    This adds depth and texture to your packaging by adding finely detailed, sharp-edge designs. This finish can draw attention to one distinct part of your packaging that you want to stand out the most.

  • Foil Stamping

    Whether it’s metallics, matte, woodgrains 
    or holograms, foil stamping can add a touch of luxury to any packaging type. The heated foil presses on to the surface and is preserved in place with a unique pressure process.

  • Embossing and Debossing

    These processes can bring texture in your packaging to life with designs either subtly popping out or an indentation for a truly eye-catching look.

  • Spot UV Printing

     In spot UV printing, UV lights cure a glossy ink or coating on your packaging. This achieves a shiny print effect which perfectly highlights the key areas - such as your brand name or your  logo.

  • Coating Options

    Coating reduces the risk of ink smudging on your packaging and also provides a nice finish, depending on the type of coating you choose. Some examples include matte, gloss, anti-scuff, soft-touch and varnish. We can show you what these options look like to get a better feel of how they’d look in your packaging.

At Weavabel we can advise on the best processes and features to use on your packaging as not all options are available or effective on every packaging type. Packaging type, print technique and finishing 
touches.

Want To Make Your Brand More Sustainable?

Finding the right materials is a good place to start. Our Textiles Cheat Sheet contains all the latest fabric innovations that you can use to help your brand achieve its sustainability ambitions. Download your copy today.

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